14 July, 2006

Live Science reports that food scientists at the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria have developed a type of chocolate that resists melting in temperatures up to 122°F.

But better yet, they claim that results from taste tests show that they're new product is actually favorable when compared to real milk chocolate.

S.O. Ogunwolu and C.O. Jayeola, food scientists at the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, have mixed cornstarch with cocoa to produce a heat-resistant chocolate that they say compares "favorably with conventional milk chocolate in terms of color, taste, smoothness and overall acceptability."

The starch acts as a chocolate thickener and prevents the outflow of cocoa butter-the natural fat of the cocoa bean-when the heat is on. The researchers found that using 10 percent starch was ideal and produced a product that was comparable to milk chocolate in taste tests.

The report goes on to say that heat resistant chocolate has been developed before, including one that Hershey made that could hold up to 140° temperatures. But the problem was that it wouldn't melt in your mouth.

However, the Nigerian team isn't so much concerned about competiting against the joys of real milk chocolate. They only want to introduce chocolate to African consumers, which apparently doesn't have the luxury of air conditioning, and hence, doesn't eat chocolate.